Quote Originally Posted by IowaSkinsFan View Post
First off, explain how any of the things you mentioned are examples of people getting rich without the voluntary exchange of a good or service.
I sorta side stepped that in order to address the bigger picture and because it's a straw man. The only time you can't find some level of voluntary exchange for something else is when it's completely forced, but this doesn't mean that we live in a force vs choice dichotomy or anything. There's much more going on

Second, I agree I think a lot of people wouldn't shop at Wal-mart if they saw videos of their exploitation of child labor. This doesn't mean Wal-mart needs to be controlled or taxed by the government.
Actually, public sector regulation against monopolized private abuse is pretty much the final respite.

What it means is that this information needs to be made availible, which it is. If you argue that its not availible enough, I don't mind the idea that government funds should be spent on mandating much more transparency from business, possibly even creating an information wing of the government to help create this service. Although I think this could be done simply as a business and not through the government.
Yes, public sector attention to transparency is very important, but sadly, it's way too important for private industry as well as governmental corruption to keep this away, and that's why it hasn't happened nor will it any time soon.

I agree the US doesn't have a free market, everything is very regulated, taxed, and controlled by the government.
I'm not sure where you're getting this information. US regulation and taxes and 'intervention' into business are substantially lower than they have ever been, and we know for demonstrable fact that things are much better with increased regulation etc

I'd like to hear a further explanation of how a free market would make it impossible for someone to get mega wealthy. Why would wealth have to be redistributed?
I've been trying to explain this. Economics is not an open system, there is only a finite amount of wealth at any given time, and the entire systems runs based on how wealth flows. Because wealth naturally flows up, artificial redistribution is necessary for the health of the non-upper class and overall economy. This is very well documented in economic history. It's just that we don't believe it because the propaganda machines incessantly spew lies about how we need supply side trickle down, they're the job creators, and other false garbage. The evidence could not be more clear that our problems are due to too much money and power at the top, yet apparently that doesn't stop the general public from imagining that's not the problem but the solution